The University of Wyoming will have to make massive budget cuts over the next two years. Governor Matt Mead delivered the bad news to the UW trustees Wednesday afternoon.

“The University of Wyoming as it is the second largest user of general fund dollars we are asking for a bit above eight percent…the number is 35 million dollars.”

The cut is on top of six million that UW received in March. University officials say the cuts will involve both programs and personnel. UW Deans are in the process of recommending reductions.

The governor told the trustees that the state needs to get beyond the boom-bust economy and he’s also asking the University to develop a plan to diversify the state economy.

“On building a program for how we are going to diversify this state. And it’s not an eight-year or ten-year program, we need a 20-year program for how we are going to get from point A to point B.”

Mead said he will ask other state agencies to also make cuts as Wyoming has already seen a revenue decline of 100 million dollars from January.